Bucky's eyes opened slowly and adjusted to the dim lighting. He tried to move, but he was strapped down to a table. His stomach dropped and he looked at his side in dread. The pain should've given it away before he looked, but he was so hopeful that it had all been a dream. Surprise! It wasn't. The metal of his left arm reflected the moonlight shining through the window. He felt so sick. His own screams echoed in his head. He was conscious. As they ripped through his flesh and bound metal to bone. As they cut into his back and chest, replacing his entire shoulder blade. He was conscious. He was conscious and he couldn't do anything except scream. 

He looked around the room. It was the same one he was in before. He was strapped to the same operating table. He could still smell his own blood in the air. The only thing that was different was that he was alone. He pushed against the restraints, but gasped in pain. He couldn't even move his left arm because of how severely it hurt. Just the one small movement sent shockwaves throughout his entire body, resonating in his shoulder. 

"Damn it!"

He heard a chuckle from behind him. He never looked behind himself. He couldn't.

"Good morning to you too."

He clenched his jaw as a man came into view. 

He was pretty average height. His hair was well groomed. The blonde colour of it shone in the moonlight. He had a strong jaw and a strong build in general. He looked... a lump formed in his throat because the man in front of him looked just like Steve. 

"Who the hell are you?"  he asked angrily.

"Hey. That is no way to talk to the person who just saved your life."

"Saved my..." he stammered, "saved my life?!"

"Well yeah. You would've died at the bottom of that ravine. Half your arm was missing. You nearly bled out."

"What nice hospitality you have."The man had said it as if he had done him a favor, but Bucky knew better. He knew who he was. He knew what this place was. This wasn't the first time they had him tied down. "What do you want from me?"

"Straight to the point, are we? If you must know, we need a weapon. Your test results were astounding. Back at the other base, that serum should've left you incapacitated for a least a couple hours, but you were back on your feet in one."

"I won't be your weapon. I won't be your pet."

"You won't have a choice."

***

Pain coursed through him in waves. He lost track of time. How long had he been here? How long had they been trying to fry his brain? He panted hard as the electrical currents being sent through his brain stopped. His eyes fluttered, but he refused to pass out. He had to stay strong. For Steve. Because Steve would be here. Steve would save him like he did before. 

Pierce approached him. "Tell me about Steve Rogers."

 He wouldn't stop. He would electrocute him and then ask him the same question every time. And Bucky always had the same answer. A weak smirk lifted at the corner of his lip. "I'm always a slut for Captain America."

Pierce clenched his jaw and crossed his arms before he mumbled the single word he always did. "Again."

Bucky dreaded that word. He anticipated the jolt of pain as the electricity started again. The familiar feeling of having to scream, but not being able to lingered in his chest. He just had to hold them off. He had to keep them occupied until Steve found him. Steve would find him, right?

This went on for about four more hours until Pierce gave up and Bucky was just barely holding onto consciousness. 

Pierce turned to two of the guards. "Take him back to his cell. We'll try again in the morning."

They nodded and took the restraints off of Bucky before they roughly pulled him to his feet. 

***

The cycle was the same every day. He sat in the corner of his tiny cell and the guards would bring him a glass of water and a piece of bread. Sometimes when they were feeling generous, they would give him a small bowl of soup that was so cold and watered down it tasted like toilet water. It probably was toilet water. Today it was just bread. He wasn't hungry though. He couldn't remember the last time he had an appetite. He didn't touch the water either. He pushed the flimsy metal tray to the side. The guard just shook his head disapprovingly and walked away. 

There was something different this time. Usually, another guard would come get him. They would take him into that room and torture him. They would carve into his flesh as if he was a pumpkin. They were determined to leave a lasting impression. But this time it wasn't a guard. This time it was Pierce. Bucky's face shifted to utmost vexation. 

"Wow, don't be too happy to see me. I'm flattered. I really am."

"Fuck off."

Pierce opened his cell and walked inside. "No need to be so angry. I just came to give you some news.

Bucky kept his eyes trained on the floor. Anything was better than looking at his face. He had lost track of time, but he could tell he had been here for a while just by the aging in Pierce's hair and face. 

A piece of paper was dropped in front of him. "Have a read."

He glanced at the paper and realized that it was a news article. He wasn't interested until he read the headline, "Captain America 'Missing' After Plane Crash in The Arctic." 

His heart stopped. How could that be?  He started to read the article, unwilling to believe it. It talked about how Steve had been going after Johann Schmidt. There was a blurb from Peggy where she gave an account of what had happened. 

He felt tears fall onto his cheeks. He looked up at Pierce with anger filled eyes. "This is fake. You made this up."

He shook his head, "it's true. I'm sorry..."

"No, it's not! You bastard!" He slammed the paper into his chest. "He's not dead."

"Yes, he is. They searched for him. They found his body. He's gone." 

"You're lying!"

"I'm not lying. You read it yourself."

His breaths quickened and he brought his knees to his chest. He buried his face in them and cried. Steve wasn't coming to save him. He had no reason to fight anymore. Who would he go back to? He had no one left.

Pierce smirked and turned to one of the guards. "Bring him to to the room and strap him to the table. I'm sure we'll find him to be a lot more compliant now."